As most IT managers and network professionals will be well aware, business leaders and employees have come to expect 24/7 network availability at work. Unfortunately, achieving this can be very difficult and many businesses lose countless hours to troubleshooting every year. This is where network monitoring comes in.
What is network monitoring?
Network monitoring ensures the smooth running of regular operations via the help of trained technicians, network management software and network support. The idea behind network monitoring is that it helps avoid productivity losses and, by extension, the cost of downtime. Indeed, businesses that calculate how much money network monitoring services could save them every year will discover that they offer a fantastic return on investment (ROI). Here are a few reasons why:
Overtime is reduced
If your staff regularly rack up overtime due to network outages, a monitoring service will save you a great deal of money in the long run. It may also lessen the need for extra staff on night shifts for certain sectors, again saving the company money.
Damage control
Network monitoring services are able to address IT issues before they turn into public relations disasters. Indeed, they can detect issues early on by analysing factors such as round trip times, network utilisation rates and error percentages. If there are any problems with the smooth running of the network, businesses can take action early on before operations slow down or servers cut out altogether.
Support calls are reduced
Investing in network monitoring can help keep end users productive and online, thereby lowering the pressure on network technicians to answer calls and deal with troubleshooting questions. Monitoring services do this by alerting companies to potential problems such as excessive bandwidth consumption early on and eliminating the need for end-user support. This lowers the number of calls to IT teams and, by extension, the number of team members needed to occupy the support desk. Businesses, therefore, save money on support team salaries.
Repair times are lowered
Finding the source of a network problem can be difficult even for the most skilled technicians. This is particularly true for networks that are spread across sites that are very far apart and can end up costing huge amounts of time and money thanks to the need for technicians to travel. Network monitoring can prevent such losses by offering live diagnostic data and maps that can tell technicians where problems lie.
Businesses can meet service level agreements
Service level agreements (SLAs) are drawn up to keep clients and end users happy and to let them know what to expect of their network providers. If SLAs are unmet, then, companies can end up in very hot water. Network monitoring is one of the best ways to ensure SLAs are met.
Downtime is reduced
Downtime is a major factor when it comes to company losses. This is because it can hugely impact employee productivity. As well as the time spent unable to undertake their everyday tasks, employees may become frustrated or angered by slow IT systems, which can impact their ability to get on with tasks. Network monitoring is a great way to reduce downtime.
Choosing the right software for you
Once you have made the decision to opt for network monitoring software, you will need to find a package that suits your needs. You may, for example, want to think about:
– Installation costs
– The cost of initial licenses and product options
– Whether the product offers affordable upgrades and support
– How many of your staff will need training, and how much this will cost
– Costs associated with setting up the system
– Whether you will need to hire anyone new to help manage the new system
Here at Opmantek, we’ve helped our customers use our products to design the solution they need. Our staff are knowledgeable and friendly and there’s no hard sell.
